Dear Faith O'Leary

   Today is going to be a great day. And here's why.

   You're in this amazing production of Coraline, and you've met some of the most fantastic people while doing it. You're remembering that you're in love with theatre. Opening day was yesterday and you killed it. You're really don't care what people think of you. You're brave and crazy enough to go on a stage with a fake mustache and sing in a terrible fake Russian accent. You're having the time of your life.

   You were the happiest you've been in months last night, and I don't want you to forget it.

   Listen Faith, you've come too far to only make it this far. There's so much more for you to do. Yeah life still sucks sometimes but there are so many things to be happy about. I don't want you to sit around feeling sorry for yourself anymore. There are so many bigger, more important things going on. There are people out there with real hurt and real problems. They need someone to help them. They need to see that it gets better. I need you to believe that for them, even if you don't believe it for yourself. Because you can't go around and tell people to push past their hurt and learn to be happy if you can't even do it yourself. You have to be more than just talk. It's so much easier to tell people to choose joy but it's something entirely different to live that out. I think you should though.

   I think you have it in you to choose to be joyful despite everything. Your circumstances are going to change. They're going to get worse and then they'll be okay and then they'll get worse all over again. Maybe at some point they'll be great. But my point is, if you let your situation dictate how you view life, you are going to be unsteady as long as you live. You've been that way for so long. Your emotions have been on a roller coaster because how you feel is purely based on what happened in your day. It's killing you. It's exhausting to be so happy one day and so sad the next. You can't live like that.

   There are a million and one reasons why today is going to be a great day.

   You have a day off of rehearsals and shows. The sun is out. You laughed so hard last night that your stomach hurt. One of your classes was cancelled so now you have some quiet time to relax and clear your head. You saw the best production of Sweeney Todd last night. You have been so blessed to get to know some amazing people at school. Think of all the people you said hi to today. You're graduating in the summer. You're going back to work at Wrigley Field. You're doing some paintings for your church. You're actually doing okay today.

   And listen, even if all that gets taken away, you're still going to be okay.

   Do you need me to say it again?

   Even if everything gets taken away, you're still going to be okay.

   Because life isn't about your circumstances or how you feel. There will always be reasons to be happy and joyful. I want you to appreciate all the wonderful things in your life that you were too blind to see. Open up your eyes. The world is so big and so beautiful. I'm writing this so that you'll learn to hold on even when you don't feel like it. Hold on to joy even when you're sad or stressed or anxious. Even at 2am when your brain won't shut off and you feel so overwhelmed. Choose joy. See beyond the moment. Don't let it trap you.

   Look how far you've made it. There were so many times you wanted to give up. There were a million different situations you never thought would get better. And yeah, some of those terrible things still impact your life, but they've never stopped you from living. Pain has never stopped you before. It's just a little hurt. It's not going to kill you. It's going to make you thrive.

   I know you're not where you want to be, but don't let that scare you. Let it inspire you. let it challenge you. Let it change you.

    You know that you are who you act like when you're under pressure. Pain reveals character. So who are you going to choose to be? Are you going to be the victim or the victorious? Because no one is going to choose it for you. The hardest part is though, no one would blame you for being the victim either. People will say its okay to be defeated, and maybe it is. But don't let rock bottom be the place you take up permanent residence at. You've been down long enough. It's time to get up. I know you; I know who you want to be. So go out and be that person.

   You got this.
   (It gets better, remember?)
      Sincerely,
          Me